Puppet Master
by kijani
Summary: Christina is back, and she has plans for Vicki...and this time, Henry might not be able to save her. V/H
1. The Disappearing Act

**A/N:** Okay everyone. Back after a rather…erm…extended absence. Life has been interesting to say the least, but I should be back for good, and I'm excited about it. And of course…the fiction! Now, this is my first Blood Ties fic, so you have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** Blah blah, yes, I'm aware that I don't own Blood Ties or any of the characters within. They are Tanya Huff's. Happy now?

**Rating:** T for now. Will change later

**Plotline Note:** In some cases, this follows along with the show. In others, it does not…and I made it that way on purpose. Those of you who have seen the show will know what I'm talking about.

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**Puppet Master**

_Chapter One: The Disappearing Act_

Vicki jumped up as the phone rang, her head meeting unceremoniously with the table near the couch on which she'd been napping. She sat there for a moment in the silence of the room before the phone rang again. Other than the sound of her own breathing, Vicki heard nothing. But…that couldn't be right at all, could it?

She swung her legs over the side of the couch, rubbing her head and casting an angry glare at the side table as she did so. "Coreen?" she called out. "Coreen?"

She was greeted with only silence in return. Her secretary? Nowhere to be found. Groaning in frustration as the third ring of the phone set off the answering machine, Vicki charged into her main office, where Coreen was supposed to be manning the phones during her down time. No one. Of course.

"Damn it," she pressed the play button on the machine, but her attention dwindled somewhat when it was a familiar voice coming out of the speaker. Mike. She wasn't even sure what she wanted, but it didn't seem important. Vicki was far too stuck on the disappearance of her trusted and loyal secretary. Boy, was she going to ring the girl's neck when she got her hands on her…

Grabbing her coat from the rack, she charged at the door, arm outstretched to push it out of her way. Unfortunately, it opened just as she reached it, and she let out a squeak of embarrassed surprise as she collided with Henry.

"Henry," she blushed. "Sorry about that…"

"In a hurry?" he smirked.

"To give Coreen a piece of my mind? You bet."

Her answer was met with a confused stare from Henry, who promptly looked behind Vicki to the empty desk in her office: the one usually occupied by Coreen. After a moment of confused silence, his gaze returned to Vicki as he pointed a finger at the empty desk.

"Where did she go?" he asked.

Vicki could only shrug. "If I knew, I wouldn't be about to go looking for her, now would I?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm…something Henry was probably all too familiar with. "She was _supposed_ to be watching the phones for an hour so I could get some sleep, but when I woke up, she wasn't here at all. Dumped poor Mike into voicemail…"

"Yeah, _poor_ Mike," Henry feigned interest. "Look, I just talked to Coreen. She said you were sleeping, but I told her I would wake you up when I got here…" His eyes scanned the room, but he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. It was all so strange. After all, he had just talked to the girl. What would possess her to leave when she knew she would be leaving Vicki and her office all alone? What if it hadn't been he who had come charging through the door? Of course, it wasn't like Coreen could protect Vicki from someone like _him_, but that wasn't the point…

"_Earth_ to Henry…" Vicki couldn't hide the agitation in her voice as she waved a hand in front of the vampire's face. "What do you mean you just talked to her? Did you tell her to go somewhere? If you have her running errands for you again, I swear I'll…"

She was stopped by the shaking of Henry's head. "First of all, I didn't tell her to go anywhere, and second of all, calm down. Did you have a bad dream or something? I know Coreen is AWOL, but I've only seen you this upset once before, and we both know how that ended…" Henry's eyes shone with genuine concern for his pseudo-partner and secret love interest.

"Actually, yes…" Vicki's gaze fell to the floor.

"About?"

"Nothing important…"

"_Vicki_…"

"I said it isn't important, Henry. Can we please just…"

"Chinese food? My treat. You look like you need it." Henry offered. "Besides, maybe after we've sat down and had a bite to eat, Coreen will show up...with a really good explanation as to where she's been…" He gave Vicki a knowing wink and offered her his arm.

She studied him suspiciously for a moment before taking his arm and allowing herself to be led from the office. He was right, after all. Perhaps the only thing Vicki needed was a belly full of greasy Chinese food to put her in a better mood.

Cars whizzed past them as they walked down the sidewalk. It was late as always, but the city of Toronto was alive with lights. It made it all the more difficult for Vicki to see, but her companion more than made up for the problem.

Taking a right turn, the two found themselves face-to-face with a run-down old building. When Vicki was a child, the building was once home to a small toy store. Now, just as it had back then, the old building housed Vicki's favorite thing in the world—mass quantities of Chinese food. Without a second thought, Vicki quickened her pace into the building, dragging Henry along as she went. She seated them herself at a table in the back, and looked expectantly at one of the passing waitresses.

"If you get _this_ excited over food, I'd love to see how excited you get about…" A punch to the arm cut Henry's sentence off early, and a few seconds later, Vicki was looking at him with an innocent smile on her face.

"I want beef and vegetables," she said sweetly, pretending as though nothing had happened. "With lots of soy sauce…"

Henry rubbed his arm and glared at her, but said nothing. He deserved it, anyway. He knew as well as she did what he was going to say. "What she said," he reported to the woman who had come to take their order. "And that's all. I won't be eating tonight…"

Vicki stifled a laugh, raising an eyebrow at her friend. When the waitress left, she twirled a pair of chopsticks in her hand for a moment before she simply let them fall to the table, letting out a sigh of frustration. "I just don't know where she could have gotten to! It's not like her to just leave like that, and I…gah…" she groaned out in frustration.

"I was wondering when we would get to this part," Henry smirked.

"The part where my head pops off and spins into an alternate dimension, or the part where you insert the words of reason into the conversation?" Vicki retorted.

"Both."

"Smart ass."

"Why, thank you."

Before the irritated PI could get another word in, the waitress reappeared with a tray full of delicious food for Vicki to devour. Her eyes widened at the sight of her favorite food, and her hands flew to the chopsticks she'd dropped on the table earlier. For most women, chocolate was a cure-all; Vicki's cure-all was this.

Vicki shoveled a large amount of rice into her mouth and looked up at Henry, who just happened to be staring wide-eyed at the spectacle she was making. "Shut…up." She said between bites.

"Didn't say anything," He said with an innocent smile.

"You're thinking it," Vicki accused him with another mouthful of vegetables and rice. "Coreen gets that same look every time I…" she stopped again at the thought of Coreen, and Henry could tell she was agitated once again.

He sighed. "Calm down. I'm sure she'll turn up by the time we get back to your place…" He shook his head as his eyes busied themselves with counting the cracks in the tile floor. He couldn't look at Vicki. He knew she was angry at the sudden disappearance of her assistant, but seeing her there seething with her cheeks puffed full of Chinese food made him want to laugh out loud. Coreen would already be facing Vicki's wrath tonight. Henry was not about to add himself to that list.

However, when they got back to Vicki's apartment office, Henry was proven wrong. The desk that Coreen usually occupied as empty, just as it had been when they'd left, and things in the office had not changed one bit…at least, at first glance.

With a renewed burst of anger, Vicki charged forward, lunging for the phone and punching out Coreen's number. "She better hope she has a really good excuse for…" Vicki's eyes narrowed as she slammed the phone down on the receiver, "…voicemail…"

Vicki was so preoccupied with beating her phone senseless in an effort to contact her missing assistant that she missed the sudden change in Henry. Something wasn't right, and he knew it. His eyes scanned the room, just as they had when he arrived, but nothing seemed to have changed. Still, though, there was something strange about the space…something _familiar_. Henry could not shake the feeling that there was more to this than there seemed to be.

In an instant, he knew what that something was, and his eyes blackened with anger. Vicki finally noticed when she heard the faint sound of a growl coming from the other side of the room.

"What's wrong, Henry?" She knew that reaction, and it never meant anything good. "Is something here?"

He shook his head. "Something isn't. Some_one_ was. I don't know why I didn't notice it earlier…" The sound of the growl in his throat grew louder, and Vicki would have been a fool not to notice how his nails were beginning to grow into claws.

"Henry…" she whispered. "Calm down. What is it?"

"Not what, Vicki. _Who._ Christina has been here."

"Chris--not _that_ Christina?" Vicki's eyes widened. It had to be her. She was the only Christina they both knew, and she had a not-so-secret death wish for Vicki. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Vicki was surprised how worried her voice sounded when she finally spoke. "You think….you think Christina has Coreen?" she whimpered.

Henry said nothing, merely nodding as he tried to keep his anger in check. He'd warned her. He'd told her to stay out of his territory and leave Vicki alone. Why was she doing this?

"Henry…"

"Coreen will be fine."

"But…"

"You aren't going after Christina, Vicki. She's even older than I am. You'd be killed. And seeing as how that's exactly what she wants, I think it's a bad plan." He paced for a moment before looking up to meet her gaze again. "If I know Christina, she should be easy enough to find. I'll get Coreen back safely for you, all right? You just stay right here. And I'm _serious_. I'll call the office phone. Best make sure you stay here to answer it," he smirked. With that, he rounded on his heels and was gone before Vicki could blink.

She sat dumbfounded for a moment in Coreen's office chair before something dawned on her, and her hand flew to one of the desk drawers. She let out a tiny gasp when she found the drawer to be empty. Of course. Christina knew about it…because Vicki had threatened her with it the last time she'd seen her.

Wherever Christina was, she had Coreen _and_ the Illuminacion del Sol. It was the weapon Javier Mendosa had used on Henry, and the only weapon Vicki had against Christina. What exactly was the female vampire planning?

-

**A/N:** Okay, so I couldn't reveal too much in the opening chapter, and I had to cut it off right there. The next chapter should be up soon. As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. Trap Door

A/N: Yeah, sorry about the horrendous time between updates, guys

**A/N:** Yeah, sorry about the horrendous time between updates, guys. Been having some issues and shipping myself all around the US, but I'm finally in one place and should be here for quite a while—so I thought it was definitely time to give you guys a chapter two.

For those of you that are curious, an update for my other incomplete story _Parallels _should be up sometime tomorrow. Again, I apologize for the wait. On with the story!

--

**Puppet Master**

_Chapter Two: Trap Door_

Vicki had yet to move from Coreen's office chair, and Henry had been gone for over an hour. Every couple minutes her eyes would travel to the empty door which once held the Illuminacion del Sol, and she would let out a frustrated groan, but other than that her apartment remained silent. She'd had no word from Henry, either, and although her hand nearly itched to pick up the desk phone and dial his number, she resisted the urge. How could she? How could she have kept this from him all that time? How could she let something like this happen? And more importantly, how in the hell was she supposed to tell Henry? Questions swam through her mind as she tried to decide the best course of action for her to take. In her mind, the _best_ course of action involved her getting out of that chair and out there to help…but going against Henry's wishes would likely do nothing but cause more problems later…especially if it was what Christina wanted.

But then again, what if what she wanted was nothing more than Henry to leave her side long enough to get Vicki alone?

A small shiver passed through her body as her eyes darted suspiciously to the window, but she was several stories up, and of course she saw nothing. She was losing it. Besides, Henry couldn't _fly_. She wasn't thinking straight at all.

The ringing of the phone nearly caused her to jump out of the chair. She let out a tiny yelp of surprise as her hand shot out and grabbed the receiver. It was Henry. It had to be. He had promised to call the office phone when he had news.

"What took you so long? Why didn't you call earlier? Did you find her? Is she alright?" Vicki fired off questions into the receiver without even bothering to check if she had been right about her first instinct. "Hello?" Her voice was agitated, but she tried her best to hide the evidence of her panic from the person on the other end.

Someone cleared their throat, and Vicki knew at once that the caller wasn't Henry. She let out a sigh, but before she could commence with the apology, Mike had already started talking. "Vicki…" He was using _that_ tone. She'd heard it before. It was his bad news voice. She never liked hearing his bad news voice…especially not while he was talking to her. "Vicki, we need to talk. Henry is here with me…"

"Henry is…?" Her voice came out much weaker than she'd intended. Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of her mind, she knew that what she was about to hear would not be good, and she was doing her best to keep herself calm and listen to what her old friend and partner had to say.

"Yes, he is. We, uh…I mean…Vicki, I'm sorry…" There was a long pause in which Mike was silent and Vicki nearly stopped breathing. "It's…it's Coreen, Vicki. She's been…Henry found her. He called us. She's…she's gone, Vicki. I'm so sorry…" Mike's own voice broke as he struggled to keep himself calm. It was his job, yes, but he knew the young girl, and it was different when it happened like that. It was different because there was nothing…_nothing_…

Something inside of Vicki broke. At first, she didn't even notice the tears. In fact, she didn't notice anything at all out of the ordinary until she heard the tiny _plop_ noise, and looked down to see her notepad dotted with ink splotches. Without another word to Mike, she hung up the phone, staring at it for a moment as it sat in its cradle as though _it_ had done something to personally harm her.

Coreen was…Coreen had been…it was all her fault. Hers. Christina had done it. But why? Why? If she wanted Vicki gone so badly, why did Coreen have to die?

Vicki slammed her fist down on her desk over and over until the initial pain of the act was replaced with nothing more than a dull ache. She sobbed until she could barely breathe, until her eyes were puffy and swollen and her cheeks were red and stinging…but even then, she couldn't seem to stop.

Maybe it was all her fault? Why did she have to bring Coreen into all of this mess, anyway? Why couldn't she have said no when Coreen asked if she could help? It would have been so easy, saying no…so why hadn't she?

When she was almost sure she had no tears left to cry, she picked up her cell phone. For the longest time she simply stared at the screen. She still hadn't quite figured out what she was going to say to him. How do you tell someone something like that? But she needed him. She needed him now more than ever. And he needed to know. He deserved to know. Especially about this. How many more people was she going to endanger? How many more would die before Christina finally decided to drop the second shoe?

Her body felt numb, but somehow, her fingers still managed to work, and before long, she had dialed the number. The phone barely had time to ring before it was answered, and she heard a very familiar voice on the other end. Henry. She sniffled into the phone, missing what he said entirely as she tried to compose herself a little more for what was to come.

"Hen…Henry…" she stammered, her voice low and broken.

"Vicki, are you alright? Why did you hang up? You didn't do anything did you? Please tell me you stayed at your apartment? Are you…"

Henry probably would have continued, but Vicki cut him off again. "Henry, please…please come here. I didn't leave, I promise. But please. I can't be alone right now, and I need to talk to you. I have to tell you something. I _have _to. Oh god. Coreen was…because of _me_…"

"No, Vicki. No." His voice was stern and yet still somehow so caring, and she hiccupped into the phone as he continued talking. "This isn't your fault. Christina did this, and it isn't your fault. Don't you blame yourself. You can't. You understand?" After a small pause, his voice softened, and he let out a deep sigh. "I'll…I'll be on my way soon, alright? Stay there. We can have a talk when I get there, okay?"

Once again, Vicki hung up without so much as a reply. He was on his way, and at least that was a start. Of course, it also meant the truth would come out. Henry would hate her, and Christina would do whatever it was that Christina was planning to do. It would all be over.

Her eyes were fixated on the door as she waited for him to arrive. The only sound in the apartment was the ticking of the wall clock hanging behind her bed, and the occasional sound of her own breathing. There might have been more, but if there was, she had tuned it out long ago. She was functioning on an entirely different level, and somehow, doing so had managed to allow her to keep herself a bit more together…even if doing such was only for outward appearances.

It took longer than she'd expected it would, but finally she saw his form outside the door, and she let out a sigh of relief. At least he'd made it back safely. At least Christina hadn't gotten to him, too. Vicki wouldn't be able to forgive herself if that happened.

"Vicki…" Henry's voice came out just above a whisper as he rushed across the room to wrap her in his arms. They stayed this way for a long time, Henry's hands moving up to play with her hair occasionally, or rub comforting circles in her back. "Vicki, are you alright?" He swallowed a lump in his throat and placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"I was worried," he admitted. "I was terrified when I found Coreen that the only reason I found her was so that I would leave you alone. She hasn't been back, has she? Coreen was…Coreen had been gone, Vicki. For hours. It felt like a trap, and I was scared. So scared that she would get to you while I wasn't there…"

Vicki shook her head, doing her best to push herself away from him as gently as possible. "I'm fine, Henry. But it was. It _was_ a trap. Christina was after something. She got what she wanted, too. It was here, in Coreen's desk drawer. I put it here a long time ago. It's been there ever since the night that Javier Mendosa died…." Her voice broke, and her eyes darted to the floor. For the longest time, she barely breathed, and she was afraid to look at him. She was afraid that if she looked into his eyes, he would simply stand up and leave. And she didn't want that. She'd never wanted that. "I…I'm sorry…" she managed to choke out before she broke into sobs again. "I kept that vile thing, and I don't even know _why_ I kept it. I trust you, Henry. I always have. And I'm not even sure what I was thinking…"

"I know, Vicki…"

"You…you knew?" she stammered.

He nodded. "For a long time, I knew, yes. And I figured you had your reasons. After what I almost did to you that night…" He paused for a moment, his own eyes darting for the ground. "After what I almost did, I thought it best not to question your choice. I trust you too, you know…"

"I…I'm sorry…" she repeated.

Laughter. But it didn't belong to her, and it certainly didn't belong to Henry. Both of them now on high alert, two pairs of eyes searched her quiet apartment for the source of the disturbance. A low, steady growl erupted from somewhere deep within Henry's throat, and after a moment, he stepped in front of Vicki.

"Come out, Christina. Show yourself!" he snarled.

"How _touching_…" she smirked, coming into the room from an adjoining one. "All worried about this piss-ant human woman, are you Henry? Were you afraid it was all a trap? You thought I'd kill the bitch the moment you drove away, right?" Another long shrill laugh as she stepped forward. From where they stood, both Henry and Vicki now had a clear view of the Illuminacion del Sol, clasped tightly in Christina's right hand.

"Well," she smirked. "You were right about one thing. It _was_ a trap. But I've been here the whole time. If I was simply going to kill the bitch, I could have done it when you'd gone. You're losing your touch, Henry. Really. You know I don't operate like that…" With a growl, Christina lunged forward with unnatural speed. Henry pushed Vicki back, letting out a growl of his own as he threw his arms out and worked to keep distance between himself and Vicki and Christina. They scuffled for only a moment before Henry let out a hiss of pain, and Christina roared with laughter.

"You only knew part of the plan, Henry. Now is when the real fun begins…and you're the star," she smirked. "Sit down, doll. Enjoy the show." A well-placed hit to the back of the head sent Vicki tumbling to the floor, and welcoming the darkness.

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**A/N: **Yeah, had to leave it there. Sorry guys. I know it's short, but hopefully I'll have another chapter up soon. Reviews are always appreciated.


	3. Smoke and Mirrors

**A/N:** Sorry about the horrendously long time between updates, guys. I fail, I know, but it's finally here...the third chapter! Bwahaha! What has Christina planned? Just how much trouble is Henry in? And what about Vicki? Read to find out! As always, reviews are very appreciated. I'm glad everyone seems to like this little story.

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**Puppet Master  
**_Chapter Three: Smoke and Mirrors_

"Son of a bitch..." Vicki groaned, her hand gingerly rubbing the back of her head as her eyes fluttered opened. Everything was still a little blurry (just as everything always was these days), but at least she was still in the same place she'd been when she was knocked out. It was familiar because it was _hers_. Her office. But then...? "Henry? _Henry_?" It seemed so empty. Where was he? What had Christina done with him? Vicki stood, her legs almost like jelly as she tried to find her balance. She dragged herself to her desk, practically falling into the chair there as she leaned forward, fishing through the door for her cell phone.

_'You know the drill. Leave me a message...'_ Just his answering machine. Of course. If Christina had him, he wouldn't have his cell phone on him. Oh god, what was she doing to him? It would be her fault. It would be all her fault if he died at Christina's hand...

"Feels a bit lonely when you're here all by yourself, doesn't it?" Vicki knew that voice anywhere. Without getting up, she spun the chair in the direction that the sound had come from, and came face to face with none other than Christina.

"Christina...where is he? What did you do to him? Tell me you didn't hurt him...?" Vicki's demands quickly degenerated into pleas as she met the vampire's eyes. She could feel moisture behind her own lids and a pounding in her head, but she did not allow herself to cry. Not now. Not in front of her, of all people.

Christina shook her head and let out a long, low laugh as she took several small, calculated steps forward. Her hips had a bit of a sway to them as she moved, her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze never left Vicki's. "Do you actually think I'd kill him so quickly? That would ruin the whole thing! No, no, no. Henry's fine...or at least he's fine for now. I needed you to be awake before the real games could begin..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Come with me, and you're sure to find out." Christina's voice had a teasing quality to it, and she smiled as she took another step towards the PI.

Vicki shook her head. "Why would I do something stupid like that?"

"Two reasons, really..." Christina shrugged. "One: if you don't, I'll just _make_ you. And two: if you don't, Henry _will_ die."

"You're a liar!"

Again, Christina laughed. "Care to test that theory? _You_ don't know where he is. I do. And he doesn't have his powers. We've got four and a half hours until sunrise, _Victoria_. Are you sure you want to stake his life on whether or not I'm lying to you?" She was silent for a moment, but only just. Without even looking back, she started to head towards the door. "Come on, now. I know you won't let him die..."

"Shut up!" Vicki growled, snatching her coat from the back of the chair and shoving her cell phone into her pocket as she followed the female vampire to the door. "He better be okay..." The last bit was spoken so softly that she wasn't sure if the other woman would be able to hear it, but it didn't matter. She said nothing as she followed Christina downstairs, until they got in the car. "Where are we going?"

"Henry's penthouse."

"If you've hurt him, I'll..."

"You'll _what_, exactly?" Christina smirked. "I told you Vicki, I'm not going to hurt him. I need you first. You have to be there. Without you, there really is no show. It wasn't what I originally had planned...but I think this ending will be so much better."

"What are you talking about?" Vicki couldn't hide the small tinge of fear that had crept into her voice. Her head was still pounding, and as the car sped forward, she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of panic as they got closer and closer to their final destination...but at least she'd get to see him, too. To know that he was alright...

The car ride there was almost completely silent. Christina kept her eyes on the road, gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were white, and other than the sound of her own breathing, Vicki wasn't content to make any noise, either. She wanted to get it over with, whatever _it_ happened to be. She wanted this whole thing to be done with. She'd help Henry, and then...then what? How could she? She'd already failed Coreen...

"We're here." Christina's voice cut through the silence like a knife. Vicki almost didn't hear her, but when the car door slammed, she snapped out of it, opened her own door, and looked up. Henry's penthouse. They _were_ there. A small shiver passed through her body, but she ignored it as she forced herself to move forward. Henry. Henry was here. It was going to be alright. Somehow, _somehow_ she'd get that terrible thing off of him, and they'd be alright...

"_Hurry up_!" Christina growled.

Vicki couldn't help but let out a yelp of surprise. "I'm coming!" she snapped.

"Come _faster_." Christina's iron grip closed around Vicki's arm, and she jerked the woman forward with all of her might, nodding towards the doorman as she made her way to the elevators. She didn't release her grip until they'd reached the top. Letting go of Vicki's arm, she shoved the woman straight into the door. The force of it was such that Vicki nearly went _through _it. Luckily, she caught herself.

"Watch it," Vicki groaned through gritted teeth.

"Can't help but be a little excited," Christina smirked. "After all, the real show is about to begin. This is going to be so much fun!" There was a joy in Christina's voice that sent an absolute chill down Vicki's spine, but she did her best to ignore it as she opened the door and moved slowly forward into Henry's penthouse.

As usual, it was dimly lit (mostly by candle-light). Vicki could hear classical music playing on the stereo, but other than that, she could hear nothing. It was quiet...far too quiet, and it was that silence more than anything else that sent her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach. She felt as if her entire body were tied in knots. Running forward, she pushed open his bedroom door with a strength she didn't even know she had...and let out a sigh of relief.

"_Henry_!" She breathed. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought she'd hurt you, and you...can you get yourself loose?" She moved forward to undo the restraints that seemed to hold him to the bed, not even thinking about the little instrument that still clung tightly to his chest. That was something they would worry about later, when he was free.

"Vicki...? No...get out..." Henry's voice sounded tired, and he clamped his eyes shut as though he refused to even look at the human woman who was trying to come to his rescue. "You came? I can't believe...you have to get out! Go! She wanted you here...don't you get it?"

Vicki shook her head. "I know what Christina wants, Henry. I don't care. I'm not losing you _and_ Coreen. I'm going to get you out of here..."

"_Leave_!" Henry growled, almost pleading with her.

"No!"

"_How sweet_..." Christina cooed from the door. "Just the kind of thing I was hoping for. Dinner and a show..." She clapped her hands. "Well...dinner for Henry. A show for me. I always did love romantic tragedies..."

"No!" This time Henrys' voice really did sound desperate as he struggled against his restraints. "Vicki, get out of here! It's not worth it!"

"I know you won't hurt me. You're in control. You're alright. Everything is going to be alright..."

Christina let out a dark chuckle and sauntered forward, pulling something free from her belt. Vicki wheeled around in time to catch a small glimpse of the little blade. Confusion registered on her face as she watched the vampire move. She was going so slowly...what was she playing at? Vicki's eyes followed her easily, but stayed locked on the little blade in her hands.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded.

"This is the fun part I was telling you about," Christina explained, a glint in her eyes. "See, I knew you'd come along as soon as you knew Henry was here. That part was so easy. Now here's where things are going to get interesting. See Vicki, I'm going to give you a choice. Simple enough, really, so I'm hoping you won't take too long to answer..."

Vicki swallowed a lump that had grown in her throat and turned her gaze towards the female vampire. Christina was twirling the blade in her hand, an amused smile painted on her face. "What is it?" she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

"Vicki, don't do it..." Henry's voice sounded so far off to her, even though he was right there.

"Do what, Henry? She hasn't asked me anything yet. I'm not going to do anything stu..."

"Here's the thing, princess..." Christina smirked, her grip on the blade in her hand tightening considerably. "Only one of you is going to get out of here. That part is your choice. You...or him. Now, you don't have too long to make up your mind, and if you're not too careful, the sun will make up your mind for you..."

Vicki's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. For a moment, all she could do was stare in shock at the other woman. Her chest felt tight, and for a second she couldn't even manage to breathe as her gaze darted between Henry and his sire...and that very sharp little toy she held in her hand.

"I..."

"Tick tock, Vicki. Hurry up."

"Vicki, don't..."

Vicki closed her eyes as she tried to shut out Christina. Her gaze focused on Henry.

"Don't do it," he repeated.

"Henry, I..." Vicki's voice broke as she choked on a sob, and she swallowed hard against a new lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "I can't let...I can't lose..."

Henry shook his head. "No. I'm five hundred years old, Vicki. I've lived my life...over and over again. You haven't been given that chance. Don't do it. Christina can't be trusted. You know that. You _know_!"

In a flash, the other vampire was by Vicki's side, and before she could blink, she found herself on the floor. The force of it all nearly made her head spin again, and she let out a groan of pain as her back collided with a table up against the wall. "I almost forgot about this part..." She smirked. Before Vicki even had the chance to get up, Christina pulled the blade across Henry's throat. When she was through, she stood, liking it clean and practically sauntering back towards the bedroom door. "That's what happens when you don't make up your mind fast enough..."

Vicki screamed and rushed to Henry's side, but no amount of pressure seemed to stop the blood flow from his new wound. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked from him to his sire once more. It all seemed so surreal. His blood was surprisingly warm, and it quickly soaked through the sheet she used to try and stop it, staining her hands within seconds. Christina lingered by the door for only a second before opening it again, and turning her back on Henry and his human friend.

"Too bad..." she whispered. "I was really hoping for the surprise ending..." The comment was more for herself than it was for anyone else, but part of her knew she would be overheard.

"Christina!" Vicki's voice cracked as she yelled after the woman, choking on a sob. Her hands were shaking, but they still held the sheet tightly to Henry's bleeding wound. To her, it seemed like hours had passed...but in reality, it had been mere seconds.

"Yes?"

"I've...I've made my choice..." Vicki whispered. "Just...don't. Don't let him die..."

- -

**A/N:** Sorry guys. Had to do this chapter this way. Hope you enjoyed the little cliffhanger. I'll try and have a new chapter up soon! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!


	4. The Final Act?

**A/N:** Sorry about the time between updates, guys. We're nearing the end on this one. Hope everyone likes it so far!

- -

**Puppet Master**

_Chapter Four: The Final Act? _

Christina nearly laughed out loud, but managed to contain herself as she returned to the room. The only indication of any true emotion was in the tiny smirk that now pulled at the corners of her mouth. She still held the little blade in her hand, and only a tiny hint of Henry's blood remained. Her gaze darted between Henry and Vicki, and her eyes glistened with excitement.

"Thank you for finally making up your mind, Victoria..." she said softly, her gaze finally settling on Henry. She approached the bed slowly, pulling the key to the Illuminacion del Sol from her pocket and sitting on his bedside. She inserted the key, and with a tiny _click_, the thing came loose.

As soon as he was free, Henry jumped up, letting out a growl of protest. "Leave Vicki alone, Christina. You can deal with me. Just leave her out of it. She hasn't done anything..."

"She made her choice, Henry. She chose you. Sit back. This is the best part of the show..." In less time than it would take a normal person to blink, Christina had narrowed the distance between herself and Vicki considerably. One boney-fingered hand wrapped around Vicki's throat, and with very little effort, Christina had the other woman pinned to the opposite wall. For the briefest of moments, she tightened her grip on Vicki's throat.

Henry rushed forward. "Christina, I _told_ you..."

"Stay there, Henry. I'll only make it worse if you don't." There was no laughter in the other vampire's voice anymore. Even as she spoke to Henry, her eyes never left Vicki's. The prey. The _food_. A lesser being. Undeserving of all the hype...of his protection...his adoration.

"_Christina_..."

"No, Henry. This was her choice. Not yours."

"I don't care!"

Without another word, Christina brought the little blade up once more, pulling it in one swift motion across Vicki's neck. With that simple action, she released the other woman, allowing her to drop rather unceremoniously onto the ground beneath her.

"Vicki!"

Christina laughed, a strange low sound, once again licking the blade clean of the red substance that coated it. Turning around, her gaze locked with Henry's and she smirked, pocketing the little blade once more. "I was going to let you do it, Henry...but I decided that trusting you would make me just as stupid as this foolish human..." Christina practically spat towards Vicki.

A strong scent of copper filled the air as Vicki bled. The liquid stained her shirt, and was already starting to pool around her a bit. She clasped one hand to the wound, blinking furiously, but seemed unable to do much else. Her eyes, which seemed to slowly be draining of their color with every passing second, were locked on Henry as he looked on the horrible scene.

Once again, Henry rushed forward, swallowing a lump in his throat as he tried to get to her. There was a problem. Christina. Christina was all that stood between himself...between himself and saving Vicki. He could do it. He could. If he could get Vicki to a hospital...Why did she have to be so stubborn?!

Christina's growl woke Henry from his nearly dream-like state, and the next thing he knew, a sharp pain in the back of his head alerted him to the fact that he had met the wall. Christina's hand was clasped tightly around his throat, and she had him pinned. Her fangs were exposed, her eyes red...and she gave no indication of letting up anytime soon. "Don't think so, Henry. That wasn't part of the deal, remember? It was one of you or the other. Why can't you just enjoy the show? This is the best part! The climax! You'll _ruin_ it if you interfere..."

Henry's eyes darted around the room. He needed to find something..._anything_...that could possibly help him turn the tables. He had to. If he didn't hurry, it would be too late for Vicki, and Henry didn't know what he'd do...

His gaze settled on a tiny table located just below a portrait of his father. He wanted to laugh out loud, but he managed to contain himself. On the table just below the painting was a sword. Its shadow danced lazily on the wall. Henry had almost forgotten that it was there. It usually served as nothing but decoration, but the gears had already started turning in the vampire's head.

With a startling growl, Henry pushed Christina away with all the power that his strength would allow him. His gaze was focused on the sword as he moved forward. He didn't even pay attention to where his sire had fallen...none of that mattered at the moment. The scent of Vicki's blood was nearly overpowering now, and Henry had but one choice to turn the tables and even _try _to save her life...

He gripped the sword tightly, turning just in time to see Christina right herself. Once again, the other vampire's fangs were exposed, but Henry didn't care. He positioned himself between Vicki and the other woman, holding the blade so tightly that his already-pale knuckles were even more white than usual. There was a strange sort of determination in his eyes, unlike anything that his sire had likely seen before. However, Christina seemed unphased by her childe's attempt at turning the tables.

"You're too late, you know..." she smirked, motioning towards the still body of Vicki, just behind Henry. She was slumped against the wall where Christina had dropped her. Her skin was unnaturally pale, and she wasn't moving. Henry would not allow himself to look. He couldn't afford distraction. Not now.

Christina seemed undeterred by Henry and his weapon. She charged forward, that same smirk still playing on her lips. "You're too late, Henry. _Too late_. And both of us know you aren't going to do anything with that. It's all just a show. You can't _kill _me. How many times have you threatened it? You've _never_ been able to do it. You can't. You're _weak_. You love me. You'd never hurt me..." Christina seemed strangely confident as she narrowed the distance between the two of them. "And now that the annoying human bitch is out of the way..."

Henry's grip relaxed only slightly on the sword, and he let out a sigh, a small smile coming to his lips. His shoulders slumped a little bit, but he kept his eyes on the other vampire. "You're right, Christina. I guess you've always known what's best for me..." His tone was subdued, and with the sword held at his side, he took several steps forward to help narrow the distance between them even more. "Haven't you?"

"Of course I have, Henry." she smirked, her voice surprisingly soft and gentle. "That's why I had to do this. I've been trying to show you for _ages_ now..."

"I understand now." he nodded.

"I'm glad you finally understand..." Christina spoke softly.

"Yeah, I understand..." One swift movement. That was all it took.

Christina didn't even feel the pain. Her eyes widened in shock and surprise, and as she stumbled backwards, her gaze fell for a moment on the sword...the blade of which was now protruding from her heart. She fell without a word, that same stunned expression still on her face. Looking on, Henry's eyes shone with a dark sort of satisfaction. "...that you're a jealous bitch."

It took him a moment to register what had happened, what it meant...and to realize that the overpowering coppery scent still hung in the air. Vicki. Vicki's blood. Too much of it. No human was supposed to bleed that much...

Wheeling around, Henry dropped to his knees beside his human companion, nearly choking at the overpowering scent. He fought against everything he knew...his own instincts. That would only make the situation worse...right? Reaching out, two shaky fingers searched for a pulse on the woman. When he found none, Henry couldn't help but let out a strangled sob. He'd _let_ her do this. He'd let Christina destroy her. He was too late.

Vicki's skin was already rivaling his in paleness, though her skin was still surprisingly warm. Henry closed his eyes for a moment, a million thoughts running through his mind. There was another option. _One_ other option. Henry reached forward, gingerly moving a strand of the dead woman's hair from her eyes.

He could do it. He could save her.

...But should he? She'd _hate_ him for it...wouldn't she?

Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I'm _so_ sorry, Vick..." he whispered.

- -

**A/N:** Yeah...I did it. A cliffhanger. But...there is only one chapter left, so I couldn't very well let you any further into Henry's head in this chapter, now could I? Hopefully I'll have the final chapter up very soon! Thanks to everyone who's been following this story, and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!


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